Journalist discusses why he became interested in journalism and how the writing of Ernie Pyle and Ernest Hemingway may serve as models for beginning writers. (DF)

Discusses how to use sidebar stories to cut down very long stories. Presents several examples of effective sidebars from school newspapers. (RS)

Maintains that good news reporting requires hard work, careful research, and even more careful verification. Notes that there is nothing old fashioned about news reporting, except that, like fine antiques, good news reporting in scholastic publications is hard to find. (RS)

Presents tips to make the interviewing process more effective and comfortable for the reporter and the interviewee. Reviews the "standard pointers" for interviews as well as pointers to make the interview more of a personal conversation. (RS)

Discusses the work of David Weir, who believes that reporters need to cultivate open-mindedness, detachment from their own work, and ability to see beyond their own prejudices and predispositions to alter hypotheses to fit the facts. (SRT)

Describes service journalism, journalism focusing on action-oriented, reader-oriented articles. Notes that high school journalists should provide information that their audiences want to know. (MM)

Discusses how service journalism (action-oriented, reader-oriented articles) dates back to the first school newspaper in 1777. (MM)

Discusses how service journalism has limitless possibilities in the scholastic press in terms of topics and angles for news stories. (MM)

Describes how the content of a high school yearbook can focus on service journalism. (MM)

Gives a four-step approach to creating a "package" of news items on a featured topic. (SR)

Describes the complete redesign of an award-winning student newspaper from a "stodgy" paper to one that presents the news in "packages." (SR)

Presents a unit on teaching service journalism to high school students, including (1) choosing a topic; (2) researching the topic; and (3) writing the story. Suggests several topics for service journalism. (MM)

Describes how small high schools can use service journalism (action-oriented, reader-oriented articles) in their publications by using product/service comparison articles and indepth investigations about various groups and organizations associated with value building. (MM)

Provides suggestions for building a reputation for service journalism, including (1) how to get started; (2) how to build service journalism once it is started; and (3) how to maintain service journalism. (MM)

Discusses the school newspaper of Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, which regularly features "hard" news stories and how, as a result, the students have learned the responsibility and honesty involved in ethical journalism. (SRT)